Valve



R. H; THORNER VALVE Filed Nqv. 18, 1940 0a. is, 1942.

INVENTOR. ROBERT H.TH RNER I Patented Och-13, 1942 ApplicationNovember18, 1940, Serial No. 366,047

, 7 Claims.

This invention relates to valve construction, and particularly to valveshaving flexible sealing portions.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved valvestructure having a novel hollow flexible valve casing, the casing beingfilled with fluid, preferably, although not.

necessarily, with an incompressible liquid, and positive actuating meansbeing provided, the valve and itsactuating' means being so arranged thatduring actuation of the valve toward closed position, a novel effect issecured which forces all sealing portions of the valve against the valveseat with great and uniform pressure, the action befiig such that thesealing portion of the valve follows and conforms to any irregularitiesin the valve seat, and also envelops and maintains sealing engagementwith the seat around and upon all sides of any foreign particles which-may lodge between the valve and the seat.

Figure 4 is a crosssection taken substantially on the line [-4 of Figure2, and looking-inthe direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing; reference and a packing gland 16 carriedby the latter.

' In the illustrated construction these elements will be seen to be ofconventional character butit be recognized that in themselves theyform-n6 part of the present invention, and may accordingly be varied atwill.,

A further object is to provide such a valve,

which achieves the novel action above outlined; and maintains moreeffective sealing than is now.

possible with valves of corresponding general character, by a novelapplication of the Law of Pascal, by virtue of which the entire sealingsurface of the valve is expanded and forced into The valve casing I8 isformedof flexiblemate Q rial, such as Neoprene, Plioiillm, ornatural-orf synthetic rubber, and is of hollow frusto-conic although anymaterial capable of relatively free flowing may beused; The interior ofthe valve casing is sealed ofi, as by means of the clamping discs 2l22,which are forcedtogether and against theinner and outer surfacessurround engagement with the seat with a total force which actuallyexceeds the force applied to the valve actuating mechanism. v A furtherand related object is to provide such a valve which so arranged thatthepressure of the'fluld whose flow is being controlled by thevalve tendsto tighten the engagement between the valve and its seat when the valveis closed, and wherein the design is such that despite theaforementioned novel seating action, the valve may be released veryquickly and easily by theactuating mechanism, the seating action beingautomatically relieved as the actuating mechanism is moved towardreleased position, undue stressing of the valve body being therebyprevented.

In the drawing: Figure l, is a view partly in side elevation and partlyin diametric cross section showing a valve incorporationg the principlesof the present invention, the valve being shown in open position. Figure2 is a, similar but fragmentary view showing the valve fully closed andtightened againts its seat.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the valve partlyreleased, illustrating the manner ing the top opening of the valvecasing,-by the nut 23. The inner clamping plate 2| is provided '26 lyingin a peripheral slot 21 in the valve stem, these parts being rotatableto permit the stem.

to turn independently of the valve as the latter is tightened orloosened while in engagement with the seat. Abrasion of the valve by theseat is thus prevented. The engagement between flange 26 and slot 21 ispreferably loose enough to permit limited lateral adjustment of thevalve 1 and accordingly insure proper seating despite any disalignmentwhich may be present.

The valve seat is in the form of a ring 30 having a frusto-conic seatconforming to the shape of the valve casing I 8 and mounted in the valvebody in in the conventional or any suitable manner, as by threading thesame thereinto.

The valve casing l8 may be positively forced against .its seat byturning the hand wheel I 5 'in the conventional manner. After thevalve'has been moved into engagement with the seat, a slightadditio'nal'turning of the wheel forces the stem down sufllciently tosomewhat depress the top of the valve casing, as shown in Figure 2, I

the pressure thus applied being transmitted in all directions throughthe confined liquid 20, in

fluid in the body to said sealing portions in accordance with theprinciples enunciated i the Law of Pascal when moved toward the seatand,

- when moved away from the seat, to release presvalve, the force appliedby the valve stem is multiplied as transmitted to the walls of thevalve. To prevent dissipation of the pressure thus developed due tobulging the bottom of the valve casing, the bottom may be made thickerthan the side walls, as shown, and/or a reinforcing plate may beincorporated in the bottom wall as is also shown in the drawing at 28.

The valve is of course normally installed to close againstfluidpressure, so that the packing valve casing is provided with endwalls and a side is not subjected to such pressure when the valve isclosed.v When the valve is closed, therefore,

the fluid pressure upon the bottom of the valve tends, by pushing up onthe bottom, to cause still greater outward pressure upon the side wallsof the casing, further increasing the sealing pressure. l

When the wheel l5-is turned to lift the stem and open the valve, thelifting effort being exerted in the center of the valve casing, tends toelongate and reduce the diameter of the latter, releasing the pressureon the side walls of the wall, the side wall being of substantiallycircular cross section and comprising the portion engageable with theseat, one end of the casing being: formed of flexible material andcomprising the portion engageable by the valve actuating means, and theother end of the casing being reinforced against unwanted distortion.

4. In a valve construction, in combination with a valve body, a seathaving a frusto-conic open- I ing carried thereby, a valve casing havingside and end walls, the side wall being of substantially'circularsection and graduated diameter and formed of flexible material, saidside wall being movable to and from engagement with the seat bothlongitudinally and laterally, the interior of the valve casing beingformed of substantially g5 incompressible flowable material, one of theend valve casing gradually, thus freeing the valve with extreme ease andwithout undue stress,- despite the above described wedsing action. Dueto the swivel connection provided at the slot 21, the

-valve is not turned or rubbed against its seat during either opening orclosing movement. 'It is also to be observed that the pressure of thematerial whose flow is controlled by the valve aids in giving the valvea quick-breaking action during opening.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and Itherefore desire the present embodiment to be walls of said valve casingbeing formed of flexible material, the maior'portion of the seat openinghaving lesser diameters than the maximum diameter of the graduatedportion of the side wall 80 of the casing, whereby the,seat forms apositive stop for the valve casing, and valve actuating means engagingsaid flexible end wall at a point remote fromthe seat and being operableto move the valve casing to and from the seat longitudi- 85 nally, saidactuating means also exerting addi- 5. In a valve construction, incombination with a valve body having fluid conducting portions, a

considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive;reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoingdescription to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a valve construction, in combination with a valve seat. a valvecomprising a flexinble hollow casing having flexible end walls andintermediate side portions adapted to engage said .seat, a quantity ofsubstantially incompressible flowable material trapped in the casing andmeans adapted to bear against an end wall of the casing spaced from saidside portions to force the valve against the seat and thereafter applypressure to the entrapped material, whereby the pressure applied to saidmaterial is transmitted therethroush to said side portions and thelatter are forced against said seat.

2. In a valve constmction, in combination with a valve body, a valveseat of generally conic form, a.valve comprising a flexible hollowcasing having k7 conformably coned sealing portions movable to d fromengagement with said seat to interrupt and to permit flow of fluidthrough-said valve body, means en aging said casing uponits sideopposite the seat and at a point spaced from said sealing portions formovingthe casing bodily to and from engagement with said seat, at leastapartofthecasingbeingexposedtothepressure offluid in-the body, aquantity of substantially incompressible fluid substantially sealed insaid casing and adapted to transmit pressure rrom said means for movingthe valve and/or :rpm

valve seat, a valve comprising a flexible hollow casing having flexibleend walls and intermediate valving portions adapted to engage said seatto interrupt flow of fluid through said body, at least a part of thecasing being exposed to the pressure of fluid in the valve body, aquantity of substantially incompressible flowable material trapped inthe casing, and actuating means adapted to engage an end wall of thecasing to move the casin to and from the seat, whereby pressure appliedto said casing after it has contacted the valve seat by the actuatingmeans and/or by the valved fluid in the valve body is transmittedthrough said incompressible material to said valving portions and thelatter are forced against said seat. 6. In a valve construction, incombination with a valve body having fluid conducting portions, a valveseat having a generally frusto-conic opening of substantial area, avalve comprising a hollow casing having flexible end walls andintermediate flexible valving portions adapted to engage said seatthroughout substantially its entire area, means for actuating said valveto move said valving portions to and from said'seat to interrupt and/orpermit flow of fluid through said body, at least a part of said casingbeing exposed to the pressure of fluid m the valve body,

by the valved fluid in the valve body is transmitted through saidmaterial to said vaiving portions and all portions of the latter areforced against said seat' and around any obstruction intervening betweenthe valving portions and seat.

7. In avalve construction, in combination with a valve body'having fluidconducting portions, a valve seat having a generally frusto-conicopening of substantial area, a. valve comprising a flexible hollowcasing having flexible end walls and intermediate flexible valvingportions adapted y 3 to engage said seat throughout substantially itsentire area, a'quantity of substantially incompressible flowablematerial trapped in the casing,

against said seat and around'any obstruction in- 10 tervening betweenthe valving portions and seat.

ROBERT H. THORNER.

